Hartford Business Journal

16 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 21, 2026 Straightforward tools and local expertise to help real business owners solve real challenges - every day. Cash and treasury management solutions Express Business Loans up to Åfee•eee‹ with decisions in im hours Best-in-class mo•ile/online treasury services platform Positive Pay and fraud mitigation Our local, experienced team provides the guidance, financing, and fast decisions your business needs to move forward. And we've been doing it for more than 150 years. *Express Business Lending: All loans and lines subject to full credit review and approval. Ascend Bank Business checking account required for Express Business Loans. Built for Business. Powered by People. Helping your business reach new heights. Inn and the Shipwright's Daughter restau- rant in Mystic, as well as the Mystic Fish Camp fast-casual restaurant and The Barber Room event space. Arling, who serves on CRHA's executive committee and is its legislative chair for hotels, said joining the expanded association was a "no-brainer" because she had already seen the value of its restaurant resources. She opened the Shipwright's Daughter in 2020, during the pandemic, and said the association's support helped the business survive an extraordinarily difficult period. She believes hotel operators could benefit from similar support as they contend with rising costs, minimum wage requirements, labor regulations and staffing shortages. "We speak a lot louder when we're together than when we're bifurcated," she said. Arling said she also believes CRHA can represent independent operators alongside larger hotel companies. Legislative agenda With its expanded membership, CRHA is planning to focus on a number of key issues during the 2027 legislative session. Increasing state funding for tourism promotion will be one priority, Dolch said. The issue has already received atten- tion at the Capitol, where lawmakers this year established a working group to study Connecticut's investment in statewide marketing and tourism and recommend ways to better position the state as a desti- nation for leisure and business travelers. Connecticut spent about $4.5 million on tourism marketing in fiscal 2024, according to figures cited by lawmakers during debate on the legislation. Dolch said CRHA would like to see the state spend about $20 million annually. The association also plans to renew its push to prohibit credit and debit card "swipe" fees from being charged on the sales tax portion of transactions. CRHA also expects to become more involved in state and federal debates over short-term rentals offered through platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Hotel operators have argued that short- term rentals should face comparable tax, safety and regulatory requirements. Hoteliers also want lawmakers to reduce the state's 15% hotel occupancy tax and limit the types of charges subject to that rate, McLellan said. They argue that ancil- lary expenses, such as parking, should not be taxed at the same rate as a hotel room. "Why should you have to pay the same occupancy tax on your parking that you pay for your hotel room?" McLellan asked. Dolch said one of CRHA's most effec- tive lobbying tools is its membership. Legislators often respond differently when hundreds of restaurant and hotel operators contact them, or when business owners explain how proposed legislation would affect companies in their districts. For Dolch, that makes growth in hotel membership about more than just addi- tional dues revenue. Success, he said, ultimately will be measured by whether lodging operators believe they have a stronger voice, receive useful services and see legislative results. Arling shared a similar view. "Success is going to be ensuring that there's real value to all members," she said. One Voice Continued from page 15 PMI's CT HQ grows to more than 350 employees By Andrew Larson alarson@hartfordbusiness.com P hilip Morris Internation- al's U.S. business now employs more than 350 people at its Stamford headquarters, well above the roughly 200 jobs the tobacco company projected when it chose the city for its corpo- rate base in 2021. PMI, which sells Marlboro and other cigarette brands in markets outside the United States, released the updated figure to the Hartford Business Journal. The count includes only direct employees and excludes contractors, vendor personnel and third- party support staff, the company said. The headcount has climbed steadily. In a June 2024 interview with the HBJ, Stacey Kennedy, CEO of PMI U.S., said the company employed about 225 people in Stamford and was aiming for 300. Most of the recent growth came from new hiring. PMI has added 95 posi- tions in Stamford since January, a company spokesperson said. Between 10 and 20 roles moved to Stamford after PMI closed its Richmond, Virginia, office, part of a reorganization the company disclosed in its second-quarter report. PMI's Stamford teams handle legal, marketing, communications, human resources, commercial operations, strategy, technology and analytics work, the company said. PMI said it continues to hire across those func- tions, from early-career staff to senior specialists. "Stamford has become an important center for our business and an outstanding place to attract and retain talent," Kennedy said. PMI moved its worldwide headquarters from Manhattan to the former UBS building in Stamford, at 677 Washington Blvd., in the summer of 2022, a year after announcing the relocation at an event with Gov. Ned Lamont. The company received no state incentives for the move. Philip Morris International's Stamford headquarters at 677 Washington Blvd. Contributed Photo

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